Associate professor, departments of psychiatry and pharmacology, faculty of medicine, U of T

Adjunct assistant professor, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Research Foci:

Adolescent bipolar disorder

Peripheral biomarkers

Inflammation and oxidative stress

Endothelial dysfunction

Comorbid cardiovascular disease and risk factors

Neuroimaging

Novel therapeutics

Research Summary:

Dr. Goldstein's research focuses on bipolar disorder among adolescents. Bipolar disorder is the fourth most disabling medical condition among adolescents worldwide. Adolescent-onset bipolar disorder can often be a particularly severe variant of this illness, underscoring the need for early identification and treatment. To date, assessment and treatment decisions have been guided primarily by subjective factors, and objective biological markers do not yet inform clinical decisions. Bipolar disorder is also associated with greatly increased risk of premature cardiovascular disease; thus far, this association is not well understood.

Dr. Goldstein's research encompasses three aims:

to identify biomarkers which enhance clinical decision-making for adolescents with bipolar disorder

to advance the understanding of shared biological factors underlying the links between bipolar disorder and cardiovascular disease

to examine the impact of novel pharmacological and behavioral treatments on psychiatric and cardiovascular outcomes among youth with bipolar disorder.

The lines of research informed by these three aims offer hope of reduced stigma, earlier identification and improved outcomes for adolescents with bipolar disorder. Dr. Goldstein and his colleagues are pursuing these lines of research with the support of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Depressive and Bipolar Disorder Alternative Treatment Foundation, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Ontario Mental Health Foundation and generous donations.